The Titans and Head Coach Mike Vrabel part ways
General Manager Ran Carthon will hold a press conference at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park on Tuesday afternoon.
Amy Adams Strunk, the majority owner of the Titans, issued the following statement on Tuesday:
“I notified Mike Vrabel about my intention to make a change at head coach earlier today. I informed Coach Vrabel that this was the hardest choice I had ever had to make in my capacity as Controlling Owner. Mike has given the Tennessee Titans a lot, both on and off the field, and I appreciate that. His genuineness and commitment are evident to everyone who has met him, and he has been a pillar of the Nashville community. We want the best for Mike, Jen, and the Vrabel family going forward.
I think the clubs that empower a united and collaborative team across all football departments will be the best positioned for sustained success as the NFL innovates and changes. In order to carry out that objective, we started a change in our philosophy of football leadership last year and made a number of personnel adjustments. My assessment of our team’s condition led me to the conclusion that a new coaching staff would bring new ideas and perspectives to the table.
The Tennessee Titans are and will, in my opinion, be a top National Football League team. There will be tough choices along the road, but it’s what our supporters deserve. In addition to expressing my unhappiness with our last two seasons, I have decided to make this adjustment in order to completely realize our objective.
I have unashamedly high expectations for the football team and the whole Titans organization, and I will never hesitate to admit it. Our goal is to consistently contend for championships, not only to generate more victories than defeats. Despite how terrible this season was, I think there are early indications of improvement. We recruited a young, skilled quarterback and a few other players to our squad last year. This summer is more significant than any in our history because of our top-10 draft position, ample cap flexibility, and coaching search. The upcoming days, weeks, and months thrill me. We’ll cross paths at that precise time.”
On January 20, 2018, Vrabel was appointed head coach of the Titans, a position he held for six seasons.
In his first two seasons, the Titans finished 9-7, then in 2019 they made it to the AFC Championship Game. After finishing 11-5 the previous year, the Titans were eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Titans were the top seed in the AFC going into the 2021 postseason, however they were defeated at home by the Bengals in that game.
The team has had several difficulties recently.
The Titans finished the 2022 season with a 7-10 record after losing seven straight games.
The Titans concluded this season with a 6-11 record, good for last place in the AFC South. The group’s record versus division rivals was 1-5. In 2023, the Titans were 18th in total defense and 28th in total offense among NFL teams. Craig Aukerman, the special teams coach, was replaced by Vrabel earlier in the season.
The Titans have lost six of their last eighteen games, dating back to the previous season, under Vrabel’s direction.
Including the postseason, Vrabel’s final career record with the Titans was 56-48.
The process of finding Vrabel’s replacement will now start.
